without the camp: Heb. to without the camp, This was intended, figuratively, to express the enormity of this sin, and the availableness of the atonement. The sacrifice, as having the sin of the priest transferred from himself to it, by his confession and imposition of hands, was become unclean and abominable, and was carried, as it were, out of God's sight; and thus its own offensiveness was removed, with the sin of the person in whose behalf it was offered. Lev 13:46; Num 5:3, Num 15:35, Num 19:3

the whole congregation: This may refer to some oversight in acts of religious worship, or to some transgression of the letter of the law, which arose out of the peculiar circumstances in which they were found, as in the case mentioned in Sa1 14:32, et seq. The sacrifices and rites in this case were the same as in the preceding; only here the elders laid their hands on the head of the victim, in the name of all the congregation.

and shall pour out: The reason for pouring out the blood, which is so constantly and strictly required by the law, was in opposition to an idolatrous custom of the ancient Zabii, who "were accustomed to eat of the blood of their sacrifices, because they imagined this to be the food of their gods, with whom they thought they had such communion, by eating their meat, that they revealed to them future things." - Maimonides

a ruler hath sinned: Under the term nasi, that is, one preferred or elevated above others, from nasa, to exalt, it is probable that any person is meant who held any kind of political dignity among the people; and it evidently means the head of a tribe as in Num 1:4, Num 1:16; Num 7:2. But the Rabbins generally understand it of the prince of the great sanhedrin, who, when they were under the regal form of government, was the king. A kid of the goats was the sacrifice in this case; and the rites were nearly the same as in the preceding, only the fat was burnt as that of the peace offering (Lev 4:26). Exo 18:21; Num 16:2; Sa2 21:1-3, Sa2 24:10-17

common people: Heb. people of the land , Amos haaretz; that is, any individual who was not a priest, king, or ruler among the people; an ordinary person. Any of these having transgressed, was obliged to bring a lamb or kid, the ceremonies being nearly the same as in the preceding cases. Lev 4:2, Lev 4:13; Exo 12:49; Num 5:6, Num 15:16, Num 15:29